


Unfinished Business

by CharlieChalkers



Category: Borderlands
Genre: some other characters are mentioned
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-10-18
Updated: 2016-10-24
Packaged: 2018-08-23 04:37:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,876
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8314204
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CharlieChalkers/pseuds/CharlieChalkers
Summary: A place to put all of the fics I started over a year ago but never finished and most likely never will. Each chapter is a different fic and they'll be added daily until all of them are posted.





	1. Idk something to do with Jack and Rhys [07/09/15]

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, these are all terrible, unfinished and really old. They're copied and pasted right out of my drive so there will be lists of mistakes and some will have weird plot notes etc at the start that I've left (which are really cringy I'm sorry). Anyway, hope you like!
> 
> This first one was written after I finished episode four, if I remember correctly, and it was more a spur of the moment, write what comes to mind with no particular direction to go in things. Which is probably why it just trails off and was never opened again.

"I'm in position." The words were forced out, they weren't his words but he still said them. Psychopathic laughing is what comes out next. Not his laugh, but again, it was forced past his lips, echoing that of the hologram besides him.

_Oh no. Oh nonononono, this is bad._

"I heard that Rhysie, I'm in your brain, remember?" Rhys's cyber-arm formed a fist and knocked twice as of it was knocking on a door. "If you said yes maybe I would have let you stay in control. Ahahahaha."

"Jack, please--"

"Shut up. I would have killed you ages ago if I could've. But now, well, ahaha, now you're my new body. You know, your nerd buddy? Err... Whatever his name was, if only I was in his head instead of yours. Wow that guy is ripped..."

"Please Jack, don't hurt--"

" _Please Jack don't hurt my friends wah wah wah_. WELL TOUGH! First we're going to kill the rats you brought onto my station and then we're going back down to Pandora to find your strangely hot friend to kill him too."

"Wait a minute, you find Vaughn hot?"

"Well, yeah? Who doesn't?"

"Um, everyone? Especially other guys?"

"HEY! What you it against guys diggin' other guys?"

"N-nothing, just, Vaughn? Seriously?"

"Yeah. I just wanna touch them muscles before I kill him."


	2. Ghost au [13/09/15]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is longer and better than the last one. It was gonna be multi chapter but I kind of just forgot about it after a few solid of writing it. Also, this is where the cringy notes are, so if you can decipher my ramblings to myself, you can get a feel for what it was supposed to be. Thanks for reading!

Summary:  
Rhys, along with his buddy Vaughn, decides to move away from the city to an isolated village in the hills to leave his past behind. What he didn't expect in his new life was an incredibly handsome ghost to be haunting him and his new friends to think he was going crazy.

Notes:  
Small cottage, attic room where Rhys sleeps, bathroom also up there. Downstairs bedroom for Vaughn. Kitchen + lounge open plan?? (Is that the word?)  
Fiona and Sasha living next door. Tell them the ghost story when they first arrive. Rhys always talks to Jack and they think he's gone a bit crazy. Vaughn thinks it's cos of trauma from 'the accident'. Angsty bit about said accident should go somewhere. JACK IS AB ASS EVEN WHEN HES A GHOST. Rhys almost dying at some point because of Jack. Jack also having angsty back story about how the only reason he's a ghost still is because he died before he could see what happened to his daughter. Still doesn't know if she's alive or not, or where the body is. Rhys finds out what happened to Angel but doesn't tell JAck because he doesn't want to lose his ghost buddy. Jack finds out, gets a it pissed. They make up eventually. Rhys takes Jack to see Angel and there is a really sappy moment where he departs.

  
The cottage wasn't very attractive on the outside: the front lawn was overgrown with weeds which twisted their way up the side wall of the building; the once red paint on the door was peeling off and had faded to a more of a brown colour; and the rest of the building itself was cracked in a few places. None of that mattered to its new residents, in fact, they saw it as a challenge to consolidate their new life in Pandora: a small, quiet village hidden away in the gentle hills of the countryside.

Their black car pulled into the small driveway, the gravel underneath crunching under the tires. The driver looked over to his friend in the passenger's seat besides him. Drool was trickling out of his mouth as he snored quietly, making the driver equally parts disgusted and entertained.

"Rhys? You going to wake up bro? We're here," He nudged Rhys softly to try and wake him up with a more gentle approach but after failing he prodded a little harder and rose his voice "RHYS? You're drooling in my car, bro. Get up!"

"Hnugh," Came the response, "Just a few more minutes snooze, Vaughn, we've been driving all morning." His words came out slurred, still half asleep.

"I've been driving all morning while you've been sleeping. Come on bro, we need to unpack the car." Vaughn nudged his friend again before getting out of the car and opening the door to the back seat where some cardboard boxes sat, filled to the brim with everything they needed. Rhy, despite still being tired, followed his actions, but opened the boot instead where there were even more boxes, stacked on top of each other in towers that filled the space.

"You got the keys?" He glanced to the weathered house and then back to his friend who nodded and fished around in his pocket for a few second before pulling a set of silver coloured keys out. Vaughn walked towards the the front door and, after a few attempts with the wrong keys first, managed to open it.

Rhys stood behind him, holding onto a box labeled 'kitchen' under his left arm. After moving the keys into the other side of the lock, Vaughn made his way back to their car to get some more boxes, leaving his friend to enter the house on his own.

The door made a creaking noise as it was nudged open by Rhys's foot. The interior wasn't much better than the exterior. Dust coated every visible surface and the ancient wooden floorboards groaned as Rhys shuffled inside and dropped his box onto the kitchen counter. Beams of light filtered in through the blinds, making the room light enough to see, but still leaving it slightly dim. On the right was a closed door which lead to the downstairs bedroom and to the left in the back corner was the kitchen, already set up with an oven, a sink and a fridge. The appliances looked old and like they wouldn't even work. The rest of the room was empty, the furniture was going to arrive later in the day. Hiding around the corner of the bedroom was some ancient looking stairs which led up to Rhys's room in the attic, as well as the bathroom.

After dropping the box of, Rhys retreated back out of their new home to go and retrieve another. As his vision adjusted to the drastic change in lighting from the dim house to the bright sunlight, he noticed Vaughn leaning over the fence, talking nervously to their new neighbour. Vaughn had never been good with people, especially ones he's never met before.

Their neighbour had her arms resting on the fence, one hand softly grasping the top of the wooden panel and the other gripping a pair of garden shears. Her garden wasn't overgrown like theirs and had beautiful flowers in a multitude of vibrant colours. It was rather stunning.

"Hey, Rhys." The small man calls him over and his taller companion gets a clearer view. She has short brown hair with a lock of ginger at the front that stood out from the rests and as her light eyes catch the sunlight they look almost silver.

"Hi, I'm Fiona." The woman smiled.

“I'm Rhys and I see you've met Vaughn. We’re your new neighbours I guess.” Rhys introduced himself, smiling back at Fiona.

“I guess you are,” She laughed before continuing “feels strange having someone finally live next door, no one's lived there for years.”

 

  
"You know it's haunted, right?"

"Um, what?" Rhys lifts his head up from where he was idly staring into the next box of possessions. It wasn't really essentials, just nick nacks to the make the place feel more homely. Fiona was leaning over the fence again, mirroring the same position as before. The friendly smile had adjusted to something more playful. It suited her more.

"The house, it's haunted. That's why no one has lived there for a long time. Apparently some guy was shot dead in the attic and his ghost haunts the place." She says it so calmly and there is a slight mocking tone somewhere in her voice that Rhys picks up on.

Rhys just smiles and nods, signifying that he doesn't actually believe the rumour. He doesn't, but there's something about it that still makes him slightly on edge.

“I’m just kidding with you,” She smirks before nodding towards the box “You guys sure you don’t need a hand? Wait, I mean with the boxes, not err… sorry.”

Rhys lets a small giggle escape at her awkwardness as she realises her word choice probably wasn’t the best, “Yeah actually that would be helpful if you don’t mind.” He smiled, subconsciously looking at his right arm, or lack thereof.

A while later the new house was set up. The furniture had been fitted and all the boxes of clothes and nick-nacks and other possessions had found their new place. Pictures of smiling faces lined the walls: memories of a past life, a happy life. Rhys was determined to make this new one just as happy.

Rhys, Vaughn, Fiona and her sister Sasha, who had decided to help the move as well, we're all lounging on the sofa. Some people would find it strange the way the four of them we’re such good friends despite only meeting a few hours ago, but 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yeah it kinda just ends in the middle of a sentence sorry X


	3. Drug Addicts AU [20/09/15]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is another I had planned out but just couldn't execute. The idea was that Rhys was addicted to the painkillers he used to be on for his arm and eye, and Jack was in denial that he was addicted to drugs and they meet and become addicted to each other instead (cheesy, I know.)

Jack sighed and impatiently looked at his watch. He really didn't want to go to this stupid support group, he honestly thought he didn't need to! He claimed not to be a drug addict, but his therapist insisted for him to go, at least for just one meeting, and he'll admit that she always knew what was best for him.

So there he was, stuck in a room full of actual drug addicts in a circle, listening to the over-enthusiastic group leader droning on about his experiences. He looks back to his watch, following the red hand as it slowly flicked to the next second. It didn't feel like it was moving in seconds though, it felt like minutes. He just wanted to get this over and done with so he could go and have a cigarette.

His attention was grabbed from the watch when the door began to creep open, and a tall man came into the room.

“Sorry I'm late…” He slowly said as he made his way to an empty plastic chair, “had a doctor's appointment.” He mumbled after he had sat down.

“Rhys! Good to have you back!” The group leader’s patronising voice rang out in greeting, “why don't you tell the group where you've been for the past few months?”

“Hospital.” Jack held back a laugh at Rhys’s one word reply. At least now there was someone else who obviously didn't want to be here.

“Would you mind sharing why you were in hospital, Rhys?” The leader prompted again.

“Stop acting like you don't know these thing just to get me to open up to this stupid group. I don't even want to be here!” Rhys shot up out of his seat again, knocking it over in the process. His initial shy face twisted into something more irritated which left Jack wondering how his face could still stay pretty while looking so pissed off.

Jack found the outburst quite something, he really hadn't expected someone so pretty to get so angry over something so small, but he wasn't complaining. If anything, it made Jack like the stranger more.

 

 

  
When the group had ended, the first thing Jack did was slide over to Rhys who was standing by the snack table.

“So, guessing you hate coming here too, huh kiddo?”


	4. S1R3N [30/09/15]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Good afternoon (or morning or evening or night depending on where you live)! This one stems from my siren!Rhys obsession which I then transferred over to a modern day gang au and idk. I actually got kinda near the end on this and tbh, if I were to ever go back and actually finish any of these, this would be the one I finish.

Sirens= Jack's best group of fighters. Jack is the boss of gang 'Hyperion' who hides behind a weapon company when they are actually a massive drug gang.

'Sirens': Rhys, Angel, Maya & Lilith. Two others unnamed but mentioned that they "didn't make it" after mission (because in canon universe there are 6 sirens at one time)

Mission fails. Angry jack obvs.

Jack is pissed at Lilith: would have killed her a while ago if she wasn't the best 'siren' he has ever hired. Make her and Maya leave after they explain the failure. Makes Rhys and Angel stay behind. Has a rant at Angel for disobeying and letting Rhys go on the mission. Angel having a whole 'fuck you dad' moment and saying something about Rhys made his own decision to go on the mission. 

Jack has even bigger rant at Rhys. Rhys has like an eyepatch or some shit because ECHOeye. Maybe lost his arm when he was younger so that isn't the problem. But maybe lost his eye in the last mission so he got some badass cybernetic implant Jack had been developing. He still can't take the eyepatch of and had been instructed to stay in bed on his meds by Jack. But Rhys is a little rebel shit and goes on the mission anyway. 

Angel gets sent out too after a while and then Rhys and Jack have a massive argument about it and then Jack is all like 'but I love you Rhys i didn't want you to get hurt' and Rhys shouts back 'I know I love you too' and then angry passionate make out session it something idek.

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

When Rhys left business school he really didn't expect his life to go the way it did. He had plans: graduate, get a job, claw his way up the corporate ladder etc. Of course, those plans were thrown out the window as soon as he landed himself a job at Hyperion.

The company was well known for its manufacture of expensive new tech, ranging from weapons to robotic limbs. At least, that's what the public and it's workers thought the company did. Surprisingly it didn't even take a week for Rhys to find out the truth and that was all because of an accident on his first day.

He heard from his friends Vaughn and Yvette, who also worked at Hyperion, that not many people bumped in the CEO and lived. Most of the company's code monkeys had been lucky enough to never even meet the man. Unfortunately Rhys wasn't that lucky. He was in a rush running an errand for Vaughn when he literally bumped into him. He honestly didn't expect to still be alive afterwards. He really didn't expect Jack to call him into his office later and he really did not expect to be sitting in his office again about a year later, stun baton strapped to his hip, pistol in its holster strapped to the other, and the flat side of a sniper rifle pressed against his back. There weren't many people who were allowed weapons so close to the boss. It shows he was trusted, loyal.

"Lilith, you better have a good explanation for this." Jack growled at the red headed woman, slamming balled fists onto his expensive desk. 

"Maybe you should do some explaining to us.  _ A simple protection job.  _ That's what you told us.  _ The five of you just need to stand there and watch the deal nothing bad will happen.  _ You knew that Vasquez's men would be there didn't you?." Lilith imitated the man, scowl plastered on her features as she recalled the brief. This wasn't the first time 

"Just get out before I kill you, cupcake." Jack growled, "Maya, where are the other two?" He turned to the next in line for his lecturing.

"They didn't make it." Maya mumbled, looking at her feet, intimidated by her boss. She knew if anyone was getting a ticket to strangulation town it would be her. She knew she was more disposable than the rest of team S1R3N.

"Sorry, you’re gonna have to speak a little louder, pumpkin.” 

"They didn't make it, Jack." Her silver eyes snapped up to look at the man, tears threatening to drip out of them. It pained her to remember the tragic events of their failed mission: the way she watched Steel get gutted, her other comrade’s corpse getting dragged away behind Vasquez’s flashy car, mocking the team’s weakness against the surprise ambush.

"And why didn't they?" Jack prompted, anger boiling up inside of him. It was really hard to find replacements for an elite team, goddamn it.

Maya looked terrified. An angry Handsome Jack normally meant a murderous Handsome Jack, and he could probably smell the fear radiating off her in waves with every baited breath she took.

Rhys spoke up, the words threatening to get trapped in his throat. But he couldn't let another of his teammates die because of his fault. "They were saving me."

Jack let out a deep sigh as he snapped his eyes to Rhys. No one could tell if it was anger or disappointment. "I'll deal with you in a minute, cupcake. Maya get out." He said, keeping his intense stare on Rhys the whole time. “And tell Lilith I want a full account of what happened later.” He added.

Maya retreated out of the room, mouthing a silent 'thank you' in Rhys's direction before leaving. The tension in the air somehow doubled when the two of them were left alone.

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't strap you to a bed and force feed you medicine through your nose, Rhys." Rhys felt like Jack's eyes were burning holes in him. Jack was being serious. Jack wouldn't even hesitate doing it.

"Because there's nothing wrong with me, I'm fine Ja—”

“You're not fine, you should be recovering still, goddamn it, Rhys. In case you haven't noticed, you're missing a freaking eyeball.”

“I'm fine. I can still fight.”

“No, Rhys, you can't. That's why I'm down two Sirens and a whole bunch of money!”

“Yeah, well you would've been down more if I wasn't there to help.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (not so) Fun Fact! The title of this one is the name I use on cards against humanity.  
> tumblr: actual-cannibal-lalnable-hector


	5. Other Gang AU [17/10/15]

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for lack of updates over the weekend. There was another fic I was gonna add to this, but it was, like, 5 words so there wasn't any point. So, here's the last one for now. Thanks for reading these, and feel free to borrow the ideas (if you credit me of course).

The last thing Rhys expected was Vasquez teaming up with August to screw over the deal. It was very rare that someone from one of the larger gangs like Hyperion would team up with another gang. Heck, it was even rarer for them to work with someone from Vallory's, considering all Hyperion wanted to do was destroy the Pandoran gangs to take control of the city.

But here he was, lacking weapons and outnumbered by August's grunts and the asshole Vasquez himself with a few of his own men all dressed up in fancy suits. It always made Rhys snort in disgust, the way they all wore expensive suits to gang fights. He found it quite ridiculous in all honesty. 

The fight didn't last long but Rhys still tried his hardest. It was impressive, the way he managed to knock at least a few guys down with the only weapon he was currently wielding being a stun baton. He really went into this not expecting a fight. Stupid. Now he was stuck here, face bloody and bruised, barely conscious. being hauled up from his arms by two suits. He lets out a small whimper when they pull on his bionic arm too rough which makes Vasquez smirk cockily. 

"You know Rhys, we really weren't expecting it to be you to turn up. Was hoping that one of the girlies would come but you'll have to do. Besides, you still are pretty high up Handsome Jack's hit list." 

"Fuck you." Is all Rhys managed breath out in reply before Vasquez's hand collided with his face, golden pinkie ring digging into his cheek. Rhys's vision goes blurry and before he could focus again there was a stinging pain in his neck.

___

The dream was a strange one. Dull colour was everywhere, swirling around in nonsensical patterns. Left and right. Up and down. Round and around in endless movement. Rhys reached out into the colour, his numb body moving by itself, his mind gone walkabouts. The colours parted at his touch, moving to let him through. 

In the distance is a black dot. It begins to morph into an ever-changing pattern, resembling ink in water. Mesmerised, all Rhys can do is stare at it as it swirls, getting bigger and bigger until it changes again into a figure. He tries to call out to it but when he opens his mouth it feels like his lungs are filling with water. Instead the figure changes again into a very familiar person. 

Her left side is glowing a pale blue, so bright that it's almost white. Her black hair cascades down her back and left shoulder and the right side of her head it shaved. Translucent wings are protruding from behind her, seemingly made of pure electricity instead of feathers.

Suddenly the figure multiplies into another and then a final third woman. They're all different, all recognisable. They're his fellow gang members.

“What are you doing Rhys?” The one on the left, Lilith, asks. Before Rhys can even think of a reply, the one on the right asks another question.

“How’re you so bad at everything, Rhys? No wonder Vasquez got you.” 

“At least now we won't have to drag your ass around on missions anymore. We're so glad that you're going to die.” The original woman cuts in again. Rhys swallows around the lump in his throats and feels his chest to tight.

_ No. No no no.  _ Rhys wants to scream and shout and cry,  _ this can't be real. You can't abandon me, I thought we were friends? _

_ “ _ It is real Rhys. We hate you. We’re going to leave you.” Angel, Maya and Lilith all speak in unison, their voices creating a taunting harmony ringing in Rhys’s ears.

He screams his denials until everything goes black.

___

As Rhys began to come to, panic slowly set in. His flesh arm was tied to a pipe above his head and the robotic one has been ripped from its socket. His feet dangled just above the the floor not quite low enough for him to stand on his own but the toe of his boot could still scrape against the surface. Everything was a blur of colours, his vision refusing to focus and his mechanical eye wouldn't respond to any commands. There was a muffled voice speaking somewhere but it was too hard to tell what was being said and where it was coming from. everything sounded like it was underwater and there was a strange static filling his brain, consuming him. Drowning him.

He tried to move.

"Ah ah ah, pumpkin. Stay put just a little longer." The voice spoke to him, cutting through the static. It took a few seconds before Rhys realised its owner was leaning in close to his ear but then they were gone, speaking somewhere distant again to someone else.

Time seemed to pass slowly as the static ringing in his ears began to subside and his vision began to clear. His Echo eye still wouldn't respond to any commands to scan the room, but he could still see with it which he took as a good sign. 

"What did I say, kiddo? Just stay still." 

"Where..." Rhys paused, his throat was dry, "where am I?” He tried to get a good look at his capture, but his back was turned to Rhys as he continued his phone call before sighing and hanging up at Rhys’s question.

"That doesn't matter right now. Enjoy your trip?" The question confused a Rhys at first until it hit him. The stinging in his neck, the tingling feeling, the strange dream: Vasquez drugged him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks for reading. My main tumblr is actual-cannibal-lalnable-hector if you ever want to send a request, or talk or anything at all :)

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading, the next one is probably better :)  
> Find me on tumblr if you want: actual-cannibal-lalnable-hector  
> (Sorry for the long URL lol)


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